Surgical wires such as Kirschner wires (or “K-wires”) are frequently used for fixing fragments of bone in position. For this purpose, in a first step a hole is usually drilled in a bone and/or in the fragment of bone to be fixed in position. In a second step, the wire is guided through the hole or holes.
The fractures often have to be additionally provided with a bone plate. In such a case, it is expedient to insert the surgical wire, through a first wire-receiving aperture in the bone plate, in the drilled hole formed in the bone (and/or in the fragment of bone). In addition, it is then also frequently necessary to cut off the surgical wire, bend it over and introduce the bent-over end of the wire through a second wire-receiving aperture in the bone plate. For this purpose, various instruments such as cutting forceps, bending forceps, etc. are used for manipulating the wire.
A pair of bending forceps for surgical operations which has two jaws that can be moved relative to one another is known from DE 1 956 547. On one of the two jaws, a substantially semicircular bending nose is provided. Said bending nose allows to bend the end of a surgical wire, which has been received between the jaws, in two steps by a total of 180°.
EP 0 612 505 A1 teaches a surgical instrument with the aid of which surgical clips can be fastened round a blood vessel for the purpose of tying it off. Said instrument possesses two jaws which can be moved relative to one another and between which the clips to be fastened are received.
A circular force-distributing plate with two apertures for the passing-through of a wire loop is known from WO 98/11838 A.
DE 43 29 220 A1 discloses a pair of medical wire forceps for bending and cutting-off the ends of wires.
The object underlying the invention is to indicate a surgical instrument for improved manipulation of a bent surgical wire.